Stanley Cup Playoffs 2019: Updated Standings, Bracket and Top Must-See Games

All but one ticket to the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs have been punched.

The race for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference headlines the action before the regular season concludes Saturday.

In addition to determining the last team entered into the postseason, the regular-season finales will finalize the seeding in each conference.

Once Saturday's games finish, the 16 teams headed to the playoffs will have a few days off before the postseason begins Wednesday.

NHL Playoff Standings

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

1. Tampa Bay: 126 points

2. Boston: 107

3. Toronto: 99

Metropolitan Division

1. Washington: 104

2. New York Islanders: 101

3. Pittsburgh: 99

Wild-Card Race

1. Carolina: 97

2. Columbus: 94

3. Montreal: 94

Western Conference

Central Division

1. Nashville: 98

2. Winnipeg: 97

3. St. Louis: 97

Pacific Division

1. Calgary: 107

2. San Jose: 99

3. Vegas: 93

Wild Cards

1. Dallas: 91

2. Colorado: 90

Current Bracket

Eastern Conference

No. 1 Atlantic Tampa Bay vs. No. 2 Wild Card Columbus

No. 2 Atlantic Boston vs. No. 3 Atlantic Toronto 

No. 1 Metropolitan Washington vs. No. 1 Wild Card Carolina

No. 2 Metropolitan New York Islanders vs. No. 3 Metropolitan Pittsburgh

Western Conference

No. 1 Pacific Calgary vs. No. 2 Wild Card Colorado

No. 2 Pacific San Jose vs. No. 3 Pacific Vegas

No. 1 Central Nashville vs. No. 1 Wild Card Dallas

No. 2 Central Winnipeg vs. No. 3 Central St. Louis

Must-See Games

Columbus at New York Rangers (Friday, 7 p.m. ET) 

The Columbus Blue Jackets have the inside track to earn the 16th playoff berth, and they can secure the spot with a win over the New York Rangers on Friday night.

All the Blue Jackets need is a win in one of their final two games to beat out the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference wild-card race.

Columbus put itself in position to claim the second wild-card berth with a five-game winning streak that included a 6-2 triumph over the Canadiens.

Jeffrey T. Barnes/Associated Press

But based off the three previous meetings between the Blue Jackets and Rangers, a win won't be easy for John Tortorella's team to record.

The first two games between the two sides this season went to a shootout, and the Blue Jackets won the most recent clash 7-5.

The Rangers are capable of forcing the Blue Jackets to wait until Saturday to clinch since two of their past three wins came against playoff foes, but victories have been few and far between for the franchise, as it has lost 13 of its last 17 games.

Chicago at Nashville (Saturday, 8 p.m. ET) 

The Nashville Predators hold the slightest advantage in the Central Division going into Saturday night.

The Predators lead both the Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues by a point, and if they defeat the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday, they will earn the top spot in the Central and a meeting with the top wild-card team.

Nashville put itself in this position by winning four of its past five contests, and it comes into Saturday with victories in two of its three meetings with the Blackhawks this season.

In their past four wins, the Predators have only given up six goals, which is a credit to the play of Pekka Rinne, who has conceded just five times in his past three starts.

Jeffrey T. Barnes/Associated Press

Securing the top spot in the Central is important for the Predators since they would earn home-ice advantage through the first two rounds of the playoffs.

The Predators have a 24-14-2 record at Bridgestone Arena, and they would face a Dallas Stars team in the first round that is 19-17-4 on the road, which is the third-worst mark of all playoff teams.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.